In a recent session I introduced my party to a new version of giant spider that sent chills down our human fighter's spine. What made it different? It could fly.
Glider Spiders
These flying spiders are more like flying squirrels that use a thin membrane stretched between their eight limbs. This membrane slows their descent allowing them to glide as they leap toward their targets.
Since these spiders live mobile lives they don’t create a web in the traditional sense. These spiders still use web-lined burrows like a funnel web spider when they sleep or for protection.
Flying wasn’t enough to make it an interesting encounter. Sure they could launch themselves at a targets face like a face-hugging alien, but these arachnids needed more. So I added web shot, a ranged attack that lets the spider shoot a string of web.
The spider can then reel their target into melee to deliver a poisonous bite, like the cave fisher, or use the webbing to impose disadvantage to the player characters.
These spiders also gain the Standing Leap feature like the one the Giant Toad uses. This will help the spiders close the distance between enemies while in combat and help take advantage of their gliding ability. Since the spider is lighter, and can use the membrane between its limbs to glide through the air, I’m increasing the range of the leap to 30 feet and 20 feet.
8 ways to use the flying spider in your game
In my campaign the spiders were part of an ecosystem set in a Spelljammer-esqe asteroid field, think the floating islands from the Avatar movie, but hovering across a gaping abyss. The spiders had adapted to hunting for prey on these floating earth nodes.
But that isn’t the only biome you might find these creatures. Here are 8 ideas that might trigger inspiration for your TTRPG.
The Underdark- the flying spiders would make great minions for drow who lean heavy into worshiping Lloth, the Queen of spiders. The spiders could cling to stalactites and drop down from above to surprise enemies.
A canyon- if your campaign takes place in a desert or inside a valley a canyon with high rock walls and deep crevices would make for a perfect ambush location.
As mounts- increase the size of the spider from medium to large, allowing them to be used as mounts for monsters like the ettercap or drow.
The limbs of a World Tree- launching themselves from house size limbs the flying spiders would fit well if your game takes place in the limbs of a giant world tree.
Along coastal cliffs- there are spiders that make their home along water sources that have learned to dive underwater to catch prey. These flying spiders have learned to use the air current bouncing off the cliff face to stay airborne while they hunt for prey. In this type of setting think about adding a swimming speed onto the spider’s stat block.
As successful experiments- the spiders in your world could be the outcome of a wizard that specializes in combining monsters into one. What other monsters would you find in this wizard’s laboratory? Maybe a platypus-bear?
An extra-planar incursion from the Shadowfell- born from nightmares, the flying spider could be used as foot soldiers for a monster from the plane of darkness.
As parasites on the back of a gargantuan Astral Dreadnought.
Conclusion
Using Beast monsters from Dungeons and Dragons can feel too familiar at times, but by adding new features onto existing stat blocks you can create extraordinary creatures that your players have never seen before. What beasts would you like to see modified? How would you change the base stat block to make them more unique? Leave a comment to let me know what types of creatures you'd modify.
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